The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued prohibition notices to four companies, ordering them to immediately cease all work involving engineered stone. This decisive action, part of a nationwide inspection campaign, was taken to protect employees from the severe risks associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, which can lead to the incurable lung disease silicosis. The notices, served as of the end of May, highlight serious failures in implementing adequate control measures to safeguard workers.
These enforcement actions mandate that the businesses not only stop the dangerous work but also implement significant improvements to their safety protocols. Inspectors from the HSE found a consistent lack of appropriate control measures across all four firms, leaving employees vulnerable to hazardous dust exposure. This intervention underscores the regulator’s commitment to tackling preventable workplace diseases.
The HSE launched a package of measures last month aimed at mitigating the dangers posed by engineered stone dust. This initiative follows growing concerns and tragic instances of young workers succumbing to silicosis, a debilitating and often fatal lung condition. Silicosis is entirely preventable, yet it continues to claim lives due to inadequate workplace safety standards.
A nationwide inspection campaign, which will continue throughout 2026, is actively identifying and addressing these critical safety lapses. The prohibition notices served to these four companies mark the initial enforcement outcomes of this ongoing effort. The HSE publishes such notices approximately five weeks after they are issued, allowing for any appeals process and internal quality assurance.
New guidance from the HSE explicitly states that dry cutting of engineered stone is unacceptable due to the extremely high levels of RCS dust it generates. The regulator has ambitious plans to conduct over 1,000 site visits, with enforcement action being a certainty for any businesses found to be falling short of the required health and safety standards.
Harvey Wild, Head of Operations at the Health and Safety Executive, emphasised the critical nature of these inspections. “Our inspectors are visiting businesses across Great Britain to ensure that employers have implemented the correct controls to keep their employees safe,” Mr Wild stated. “We have stopped dangerous work with engineered stone in four workplaces due to serious failures in providing the correct controls.”
He further highlighted the tragic reality of silicosis: “Silicosis is incurable, but it is entirely preventable. No worker should lose their life to a lung disease caused by their job, and that is why we have taken this action. If businesses ensure the right controls are being used correctly, then the risks of engineered stone and silicosis can be safely managed. Where these are not in place, workers will be at risk.”
Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, echoed these sentiments, stressing the fundamental right of every worker to a safe environment. “Every worker deserves to come home safe, without fear of losing their life to a preventable, deadly lung disease caused by their job,” Sir Stephen commented. “The enforcement action taken by HSE sends a clear message that putting workers at risk of silicosis – an entirely preventable but devastating disease – is completely unacceptable and there will be consequences.”
The Minister urged all businesses involved in working with engineered stone to adhere strictly to the HSE’s guidance without delay. “There is no excuse for exposing workers to unnecessary risk,” he added.
The primary danger associated with engineered stone processing is the release of respirable crystalline silica dust, which, when inhaled, causes silicosis. HSE research has shown that dry fabrication methods typically result in RCS exposure levels five to ten times higher than those generated by wet processing techniques. Furthermore, the research indicates that lower-silica content engineered stone products are readily available and offer comparable quality, providing businesses with a safer alternative.
This evidence has prompted the HSE to act decisively, ensuring that effective control measures become standard practice across the industry. To provide clear guidance to both businesses and workers, the HSE has also published its first-ever COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) guidance specifically addressing engineered stone.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre
